Rekindling the spark
by phyfrea
Summary: When Sonny moves out of LA to pursue further studies, her relationship with Chad falls apart and both of them part ways. Then, years later, they run into each other again. Only, this time, Sonny is engaged and Chad is single.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Sonny with a Chance

**Plot line: **

When Sonny moves out of LA to pursue further studies, her relationship with Chad falls apart and both of them part ways. Then, years later, they run into each other again. Only, this time, Sonny is engaged and Chad is single.

So, can their relationship be kindled once again? Are they meant to be?

Accompany your favorite couple on their journey as destiny twists and tweaks their life in unexpected ways.

**Prologue:**

It was a calm, slightly overcast day in Los Angeles. The sun was playing hide-and-seek with the clouds and there was a mild drizzle.

A sleek, metallic black convertible stood in the parking lot of the LAX airport, a sad silence hanging over its occupants.

The girl in the passenger seat was gazing at her lap despondently, her brown curls curtaining her face from the young man beside her. And the young man's hands lazily rested over the steering wheel. His face, unlike his companion's, was devoid of emotion and expression. Instead, it was blankly, unseeingly directed past the glass pane of the car.

"So, this is it then, you're really leaving?" he asked, after what seemed to be an eternity of silence.

The girl swept back her hair and looked at him. In response, his blue eyes grew a shade darker and melancholy crept into them, weakening her already frail resolve.

She let out a sigh and mustering whatever remained of her will power, she brought herself to say, "Yes Chad, I'm leaving. Really"

He didn't say anything. He just looked at her, as though willing his eyes to do the feat his mouth hadn't been able to do.

"I'll miss you", she said.

Pausing for a moment to allow the message to sink in, she continued, "And here's your going away present"

She opened her purse and pulled out a bracelet, which contained the letters SC on it, in blue gems.

"Chad", she whispered, taking his right hand.

"Sonny, are you crying?", he asked concernedly, sensing the strain in her voice.

Her hands shook slightly as she fastened the bracelet on his hand.

"A little"

"Happy tears? Because you're leaving me?" he teased.

She gave a dry chuckle in response.

"You and your weird ways of trying to perk me up"

Her eyes had regained some of their gleam.

The knowledge that he'd put a semblance of her trademark energy, however little, back into her, cheered _him_ up a bit.

"I know, I know. So…university, huh?"

"Yes. You know how important my mom thinks it is…"

Suddenly, he pulled her into a fierce hug, holding her as though he didn't want to let her go.

"I'll miss you _so _much"

The sudden outburst of emotions from Chad overwhelmed Sonny, as a result of which the tears she'd been attempting to hold back for quite sometime came flooding out without any warning.

She silently sobbed into his chest, "Me too, Chad. Promise me you'll call everyday"

"Sure, sunshine. You bet I will"

"And on that note", he continued in a sterner tone, "Don't get too friendly with the guys at the university, okay?"

"I promise", she said with a hint of a smile on her face.

"And you too. Don't check out the girls, okay?"

And saying that, she pulled out of the hug.

He laughed. She laughed.

Silence followed. Again.

"It is time to get going", she said finally and got out. Chad checked his watched and jumped.

"Sonny! You're going to miss your flight"

"Relax, Chad. I've always been late to the airport and I'm yet to miss a plane", she replied calmly, taking out her luggage from the trunk.

Chad laughed. _That_ was his girlfriend for you.

In the end, Sonny _did _manage to catch her flight, clutching the card Chad had given her tightly to her chest.

It said 'Your smile is my sunshine'

**A few months later:**

Sonny stood in front of the television, glaring daggers at the screen which was showing a blond-haired boy (on whose arm was a pretty red-head) being interviewed.

Sonny's phone was pressed to her ear.

"Chad, why did you attend the premiere with _her_?"

"Sonny, I had no choice. My publicist told me that I _had_ to have a date. And since you were so far away, what was I supposed to do?"

"You didn't _ask_ me if I could come. You didn't even _inform_ me about the premiere, Chad. How could _you_ decide that I wouldn't come?"

"I tried to call you, but you were unavailable"

"Only _once_. And after that every time after _I_ tried to call you back, _you_ weren't available! I think you were avoiding me on purpose"

Angry tears were streaming down her face. Her voice had risen by several octaves.

"Sonny, please listen to me…"

She didn't reply.

On the other end, a sniff let Chad know that she was still on the line.

"Sonny…" he tried again. The attempt fell through lamely.

Then, after a few more painful moments, after all the sniffing and sobbing had ceased-

"Chad, _you_ listen to _me_"

It was a firm order.

Her voice sounded calm, tired and resigned. There was no trace of anger. And that _frightened_ him.

He almost knew what was coming, even though he wanted to deny it.

"It's the same story all over again, Chad. And I hate to say it, but…this is not working out"

He wanted to refute her statement. But deep inside, he knew that she was right. Their relationship had been going progressively downhill ever since Sonny had moved to Wisconsin.

Missed phone calls, fights about opposite gender friends, reduction in the frequency of visits had all become regular events.

And they were doing no wonders to their already distance-strained relationship.

"I think you're right, Sonny," he said in a calm voice, "This is just not working out"

"So…this is goodbye, I suppose"

"Yes, but it was a great ride, sunshine. I'm going to miss you," A faint nostalgic smile appeared on his face despite the heaviness of his heart as he remembered the good times.

"Me _too_, Chad. I had a great time with you…"

Her voice indicated that she was also reminiscing about their days together and like him, she was feeling bad about letting go.

"You were one of the best girlfriends I ever had, Sonny. Bye. And… good luck with whatever you do."

"Bye, Chad. Take care," she finished softly.

**A/N: Review! Tell me if it is worth continuing.  
**


	2. Grandma's counsel

**Chapter-1**

**Grandma's counsel**

As soon as Sonny stepped into the house, warmth fell over her.

She was in the house of two of her most favorite people in the world: her grandparents.

When her grandmother pulled her into a hug, she felt at home, a feeling she hadn't had in a very long time.

When Sonny had been a teenager, she would always turn to her grandmother for advice and counsel. Merely hearing her voice would soothe her anxious self.

She didn't know why she'd not visited her grandparents in years and deprived herself of that comfort and love.

"Grandpa, grandma, happy 50th anniversary!" she exclaimed, handing them a box of chocolates.

Despite their age, her grandparents had a sweet tooth and absolutely loved chocolates.

"Wow, Sonny star, this looks so delicious!"

"I'm sure it tastes delicious too..."

Pausing to give the wizened couple a wide smile, she continued, "Actually, I have something to tell you. I'm-"

The words got stuck in her throat.

She tried again-

"I'm…"

Why couldn't she just tell them?

"You're what, Sonny star?" asked her grandfather, concerned by the slight dimming of his granddaughter's eyes.

"Uh…nothing, grandpa" Sonny covered the ring on her ring finger consciously. She didn't understand why she couldn't bring herself to tell that she was going to get married. She didn't understand why it didn't feel right.

"Is everything alright, star? Are Connie and Jim okay?"

"Yes, grandpa. Everyone's doing great. Uh…I think I'll go shower," she said, attempting to smile.

She fled into her room and shut the door behind her softly; and let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. She looked at the ring on her left hand which she had been so consciously covering for the past half an hour.

She felt an inexplicable urge to take it off and stow it somewhere she wouldn't be able to find later. But Sonny Munroe was a good woman and good women did not carelessly throw away their engagement rings that probably cost and meant a lot to their fiancé.

She let the warm water of the shower wash over her, momentarily closing her eyes and choosing to feel nothing but how good it felt on her skin.

When she got out of the shower, she felt fresher. And determined.

She was going to _tell_ her grandparents and _ecstatically_ (weren't brides-to-be supposed to be _thrilled_ about getting married?), at that.

"Grandma" she began, putting on a wide grin and convincing herself that it was genuine.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I'm getting married!"

There, she said it and it came out exactly how it was supposed to come out: excited and on cloud-nine.

But she wondered if all the women put so much effort into making the announcement sound so happy.

"Oh, honey, that's _great_! Who's the lucky guy? Chad Dylan Cooper?"

The joyful façade that Sonny had tried so hard to keep up crumbled at the sound of _his_ name. Her grandmother's words attacked something _very_ raw and primal, something that Sonny herself didn't understand completely. All she knew was the answer that came out of her mouth left a bitter taste behind it.

"No…it's Matt. Matthew Connor"

"Oh…sorry sweetie, it's just that when you had come here last you were dating Chad Dylan Cooper"

_Another_ attack. Why had his name turned into such a merciless weapon?

Sonny did not like the way the conversation was heading. She did not like how she was _still_ so sensitive about Chad. After all, they had broken up years ago.

Apparently, her grandmother sensed her discomfort, "Sonny, are you alright?"

As she gazed into her grandma's brown eyes, which were so like her own, she just couldn't bring herself to lie.

"I'm not sure…"

"What's troubling you, sweetie?" she asked, placing a hand on Sonny's knee.

She hesitated and then-

"I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, grandma…somehow, it feels wrong and…unsettling"

"Getting married?"

Sonny nodded.

"Brides _do_ tend to be anxious about their weddings, honey. Maybe, you are just taking more stress than you should"

Sonny nodded again. Her grandmother was right. She was just getting too worked up about her wedding. That was it. That was why she was feeling so frazzled. There was no other reason…or _person_.

_Really, Sonny, really?_ asked a voice in her head, that sounded achingly like Chad's.

"Grandma, my head is aching. I…I want to take a nap"

"Sure, Sonny. Relax, take some rest and then when you wake up we'll have hot chocolate and talk, okay?"

Sonny smiled at the grandmother. She'd always enjoyed the hot chocolate sessions with her. They were her favorite part of the visit.

**Later in the evening:**

"So, Sonny star, this Hollywood trip, is it just a holiday or is it on a professional account?"

"Professional, grandpa. You remember _So random!_?

"Of course, star. How could I forget the show that _you_ starred in?" he said, with an air of a proud grandfather.

Sonny's beam grew wider.

"Yeah, Marshall Pike, the executive director of the show offered me the post of assistant director"

"Are you taking it up?"

"I think I will. But I'm not so sure. After all, I quit that life years ago. I'll give it a try and if it works out, I'll stay"

"Is Matt okay with it?" asked her grandmother.

Sonny's beam dimmed a little, "No, he's obviously not very happy with me going to live in LA, I mean, it's half the way across the continent…but _I_ want to go…"

Something about Los Angeles pulled at Sonny's heart. And she was going to give in to its tug whether Matt approved or not.

Only in the murky depths of her subconscious did she acknowledge that it was a '_someone'_ rather than a 'something'.

**A/N: So, was that dramatic enough? Tell me in your review! This genre is proving **_**very**_** hard to write.**

**And the disclaimer in the prologue applies to all the chapters in this story. In case I happen to get the rights of the show anytime, I'll let you know :)**


	3. An inflight reunion

**Chapter-2**

**An in-flight reunion**

I was staring out of the small window, catching sight of planes landing gracefully on the various faraway runways, one after the other, with hardly a span of a minute between every two lands. And then there were those taxiing, unhurriedly, for the entire world failing to appear as though they would be high up in the skies, in a matter of a few seconds, cutting through the air a thousand miles an hour…

"Excuse me, but the window seat is mine, 12A…"

Nothing but the shock of hearing that voice could have made me tear my gaze away from those dear planes.

Suddenly I was looking into a pair of brown eyes, a pair that I never thought I'd be lucky enough to gaze into again. It was Sonny Munroe herself, in all her glory, demanding that I give up my damned seat, in exchange for the aisle one.

"Chad," she almost whispered, her lips stretching into that endearingly familiar beam that I didn't realize I'd missed terribly until now.

"Sonny," I stated simply, for the lack of a more adequate sentence to fit the moment. I couldn't think properly. Sonny's presence was overpowering.

We must have been staring at each other for too long, because-

"Ma'am…could you please take your seat? I know that you find it unbelievable that your seat is right next to _the _Chad Dylan Cooper, but I'm going to have to ask you to take your seat and buckle your seatbelt, because we will be taking off in another minute or so," said an airhostess in a single breath and scurried away, perhaps to check up on the other passengers.

I gave a snigger. I couldn't help myself. The look on Sonny's face after that speech was plain in_valuable_. The smile had turned into a scowl, which only deepened at my snigger. Soon, I was lost in a full-out laughing session. Sonny huffed and sat down, seemingly having forgotten about her window seat and attacked the seatbelt. Her face had gone all red and she was pointedly looking away.

"What a _great_ welcome back," she muttered.

At this, I only laughed harder. She glared.

Stifling my laughter, with much difficulty, I muttered a polite "Sorry".

Maybe I had taken too much liberty.

Sonny merely tilted her head a fraction of an inch in acknowledgement, but at that moment that was the least of my worries. The aircraft had gathered great momentum and was going to be up in the air any second. I gripped the armrest firmly and closed my eyes. My stomach felt queasy. Did I mention that my least favorite part of flying was being up in the air? Oh, yeah. I admired planes only when they were on ground.

I heard a giggle. I cautiously opened my eyes to look at the source: Sonny.

"I'd forgotten you were scared of heights," she said, her eyes hovering over my almost white knuckles clenching the armrest (we were still gaining height).

It was my turn to scowl. But I still couldn't take my mind off the flight to give her a witty retort. Apparently, she observed my unease.

"_Relax_ Chad," she said and placed her arm over mine.

I looked at her in shock. Her hand felt hot upon mine and the touch ignited an imploding sensation of liveliness that I'd long forgotten I could feel. At that moment I could vividly feel the electricity in the strip of air that bridged our gazes.

I'd never felt so alive in _years_.

After several long moments, she removed her hand. And, unashamedly, I missed it.

"So…," she drew.

It was awkward.

"So…," I drawled in reply.

"So, what are you doing now-a-days?"

"Acting," duh! I'm surprised she didn't know that. I have been in some really good movies after all. No, I haven't won an Oscar yet. But hey, I'm only twenty four. I'm sure I will. Someday. Definitely.

"Of course I knew you were acting. I _do_ live in America, you know? I just asked what your current project is"

Somehow the fact that Sonny had not been totally oblivious to my presence in the film industry made me happy.

"Oh. Now I'm actually filming a movie, the plot line of which I can't tell you," I smiled pseudo-sweetly.

"Apparently, some people _never_ grow up"

"Hey, it's all a part of being in the industry. You, of all people, should know that," I wanted to tell her. I really did. But that would be totally unprofessional

"So, what are you doing on a plane to Hollywood?" I asked, crossing my fingers in the pocket.

"Marshall requested that I take up the post of Assistant Director and hence…"

"Yes!"

Only when I saw Sonny's eyebrows-raised expression did I realize that I had exclaimed it out loud.

There was no getting out now.

"I missed you. Terribly," I said and felt my cheeks heat up a bit. I looked down.

"Aw, Chad! Really? That's so sweet of you ,"she said.

I felt a little disappointed that she didn't say that she'd missed me too. So I didn't say anything. And she didn't too.

We sat in silence for several minutes. We (individually) perused magazines, drank juice, listened to music and did all the stuff that bored people, waiting for their destination to appear in the skyline, do.

And then I noticed it. A diamond ring sitting _royally_ on Sonny's ring finger.

It did not bode well. It felt _very_ wrong.

I was tempted to ask her about it. But I refrained, because, deep inside, I think I dreaded her answer. It could wait. She was coming back to Los Angeles after all. Now was the time to concentrate on the happy things. I could worry later.

Most probably, it was just for ornamental purposes. Maybe I was just overreacting.

A breath in, a breath out, a breath in, a breath out…

But as much as I tried to convince myself that there was nothing to that innocent looking ring, I felt very sad when she placed her hand on mine again to relax me while landing.

I was dragging my suitcase towards my limo dejectedly, when I was suddenly enveloped in a hug. Sonny.

As she gently pulled away, she said, "I wanted to say that I missed you too. A lot. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier…I had other things on my mind"

But I didn't care that she had other things on her mind. At that moment, it was just the two of us, in our own happy little world.

I smiled, probably my first true one in several years.

"So, see you around?" I asked.

"Sure," she said, that wide smile of hers lighting up her face. And she waved and walked away.

Suddenly, my day couldn't get any better.

**A/N: I love how this chapter has come out. Doing a first person narrative has been absolutely delightful, albeit a little informal. But I experienced a fluidity with this chapter that I haven't experienced with my other ones.**

**And thank you for all your reviews. 10 for the last chapter, seriously? Thank you so much. And review this one:)**


	4. A surprise visitor

**Chapter-3**

**A surprise visit**

I was lounging on my couch, eyes half closed. A remote lay forgotten in my hand. A movie was mutely playing on the TV screen in front of me, oblivious of my inattention. It was 8 PM. I was exhausted and hungry, but I had no energy to make myself something edible. Wishing that delicious food would just pop up from thin air, I felt myself slowly drifting into sleep.

And just when I had almost fallen asleep, the doorbell rang shrilly, jerking me out of my twilight zone. Cursing under my breath, I dragged myself from the couch to open the door.

"Sonny?" It was indeed Sonny standing on my doorstep at- I looked at the CDC wall clock- 8:30 PM, _un_invited. Not that I minded.

All traces of tiredness completely disappeared with Sonny's arrival and suddenly, I had enough energy to stay up all night.

"Come inside, Sonny!"

"Thanks Chad. Am I disturbing you?"

"No, not at all"

"Sorry about the uninformed arrival. I should have told you prior"

Assuring my surprise guest that I was indeed glad to see her and did not take offense at her sudden arrival, I ushered her inside and turned on the lights, catching a proper sight of the young woman in front of me for the first time.

And what I saw caught me _quite_ off guard.

Sonny was wearing a pair of denim shorts and a bright yellow T-shirt. Her legs looked slimmer than I remembered, and her silky locks, which she had pulled up in a high ponytail, were almost waist length. Overall, her new sense of fashion gave her a pleasingly youthful look. I decided that I liked it. A lot.

"Sit down, Sonny," I said, gesturing to the couch I had just vacated. I felt very weird sounding so formal to my former girlfriend. But I couldn't help it, the circumstances were like that.

"You don't have to be so formal, Chad," she said with a giggle, as though she could read my mind.

It was a tad bit embarrassing.

"Come on, Chad," she said, pointing the space next to her. I sat down.

"So…what brings you here?"

"I guess I was feeling a little lonely and…homesick. I wanted to see a friendly face," she said, not meeting my eye.

I smiled at her. I was really glad that she felt at home with me.

Placing my hand over hers, I said, "Hey, Sonny, you're always welcome here, alright? You can drop in whenever you feel like it"

She nodded, smiling.

"So, you going to give me a tour of your house or not?" she asked, getting up and surveying the living room. I cringed inwardly at her request; the messiness of my place suddenly seemed to be very stark. There were pizza boxes strewn in a corner, the couch covers were coming out, the pictures on the wall were lopsided; I could practically _hear_ Sonny's mind telling her how bad of a house keeper I was.

There was no way I was going to give her a tour of my house in this state. If the living room was bad, then all the others were _way_ worse.

Attempting to change her mind, I said, "How about later, Sonny? You must probably be feeling very tired. So how about I make us something to eat?"

"Nice try, Chad. But you're going to show me around. Now."

I sighed and resigned to the worst.

"Ok. But I am warning you, my house is quite _messy_"

"Will do"

So, at her insistence, I showed her all the rooms…_except_ my room. I wasn't ready to show it to her yet. It was very…_personal_ to me. I simply skipped it. If Sonny noticed the fact, then she didn't say anything about it. In fact, she didn't say _anything_ during the tour at all. She merely nodded her head and listened to what I said, while her eyes were feverishly taking in the various intricacies.

Somehow, showing her around my house, especially at _her_ persuasion, meant a lot to me. I earnestly hoped she liked it, despite its disorganized state.

"So, this is what a bachelor living pad looks like, huh?" she asked, leaning against the counter with her arms folded. We had ended up in the kitchen. There was a slight smile on her face as she said it.

"That's a very good way of putting it, I suppose," I replied, grinning.

"So, you cook too?"

"Not if I can help it. I have a chef who comes in the mornings and makes me good breakfast and sometimes, lunch. But for the rest of the day, I have to feed myself. I try not to cook as much as possible. I go out and eat…"

"You're bad at cooking?"

"Terrible"

"But you offered to cook for us. Is there any conspiracy going on? Are you trying to poison me or something?"

"Ha ha, look everyone, funny Sonny is back"

She narrowed her eyes at me.

"That was supposed to be humor, if you didn't recognize it," I said, adding fuel to the fire.

She glared (or rather, tried to) and said, "You still enjoy picking on me, don't you?"

Of course I did. There was no better sight than an all riled up Sonny. She looked very cute when she got so fake-angry with me, with her hands on her hips and smoke coming out of her ears (in my imagination of course).

"I _love_ it. It is my favorite hobby"

"What did you do when I was gone?" she asked quietly.

I sensed an out-of-context depth to that question.

"I missed it, sunshine," I replied as quietly.

"So…what's for dinner?" she asked, perhaps in an attempt to disperse the awkwardness.

"Pizza!" I declared, flourishing the case in front of her.

"Good"

"Good"

"Fine"

"Fine"

Both of us were grinning at the end of our _achingly_ dear-to-heart spate.

We were devouring the pizza with gusto and a pinch of nostalgia when her phone rang. It was on the counter and I was closest to it. So, I picked it up and handed it to her. And as I did that, I couldn't help but peek at the screen. It flashed 'Matt' and had the photo of a man who appeared to be our age.

For some reason, my heart sank at the sight. Sonny looked at me almost like she knew how I felt and her face crunched as though in apology for me. But it did not help. If anything, it upset me more. And my eyes, much against my will, flew to her left hand to look at the object which had been disturbing my dreams.

Then I shifted my gaze to her eyes. Apparently, she had followed my gaze. Because, she looked at me intensely, as though trying to communicate with me with eyes, all while on the phone with the other guy. I tried not to pay much attention to the conversation, but I did catch a few phrases like 'friend's house', 'call you later' and 'not now'.

And finally, she ended the call.

"So…_boyfriend_?" I asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"Fiancé," she replied in a barely audible voice, looking at her lap.

"Oh"

I was still romantically inclined towards Sonny. That much I realized when her answer wrenched my heart powerfully.

After a few painful minutes of silence-

"Uh, Chad? I gotta go now. Bye"

Yes, she needed to leave, and give me time to sort out my emotions.

"Bye"

**Author's note:** This chapter is kind of a base for the story. I wouldn't call it a filler. Everything that happens here is important. This chapter sets the story rolling. Anyway, review!

**Teen Choice Awards: **Don't forget to vote for Sterling, Demi, Tiffany and SWAC in the TCA 2010 everyday until August 9th. Remember, every vote counts. Spread the word and bring in the votes!


	5. Unhappy relationships

**Chapter-4**

**Unhappy relationships**

**Chad **

At twenty-four, my life was exactly how I had envisioned it at fourteen: I was a very successful actor (excuse my lack of modesty), had loads of money, I wasn't tied down to any girl (though hordes of them were hot on my heels) _and_ I could live a carefree, happy life, without having to bother about anybody's feelings. What I hadn't counted on was falling in love with one of my girlfriends along the way and running into her years later, only to find her engaged to some ordinary mortal.

At sixteen, Sonny breezed into my life and, though I hadn't realized it then, changed my outlook on it forever. I hadn't believed in love to begin with. I hadn't known what was happening to my cool factor when I was getting sappier than ever, going all goofy around her. In fact, it took me months of Sonny Munroe's absence to realize that I had been in love with her all along. Somewhere deep inside (and unacknowledged until recently), I had begun dreaming of her in a flowing white gown, walking the aisle towards me.

See what that girl is capable of? At fourteen, I thought that my happiness lay in fame and fortune; and at eighteen, in belonging to Sonny Munroe _forever_.

And now, years later, I'm yet to change my mind.

It isn't that I didn't date girls after Sonny. Oh, I did, sure as hell! It's just that nobody managed to fill the void she left. Nobody ever came close to making me feel like she did.

And now that she has barged back into my life, bringing along with her an _accursed_ diamond ring, she has become the boon of my existence and the bane; and my life officially _sucks_.

**Matt**

My fiancée, Sonny Munroe, decided to ditch me for a job in Hollywood, leaving me all alone to fend for myself. Doesn't she have a conscience to tell her that a future husband is much more important than a stupid job? I don't know _what_ draws her to that damned place. I've argued with her, tried sweet-talking, tried emotional-blackmailing, tried doing _everything_ that a man could possibly do to convince the love of his life not to leave him. But no, _nothing_ worked.

So, yeah, now I'm stuck to begging my boss for a transfer to LA. In any case, bosses are much easier to deal with than women.

She was supposed to call me when she landed at LAX. But apparently, she 'forgot'.

And then there was that conversation yesterday which went… pretty badly.

"_Hey sunshine"_

"_Hey" I could detect no enthusiasm at all._

"_So…missing me already?"_

"_Yes…a little" Did she tell that out of pure obligation?_

"_Me too, babe"_

"_Oh" She sounded far away._

"_So whatcha doin'?"_

"_Huh? What'd you say?" Was she even paying half her attention to me?_

"_Mmm… Sonny? You still with me?"_

"_What?" She sounded startled._

"_Um…are you doing something? You seem to be really distracted…"_

"_Uh, no, I'm at a…a friend's house. Just catching up on old times" Am I reading too much between the lines or did she really hesitate to say 'friend's'?_

"_Ditch the friend and talk to me, baby. It's been so long…blow me kisses, show me some love"_

"_Matt, not now," she admonished. What a way to spoil the mood._

"_Then when? You aren't giving me the time of the day, sunshine"_

"_I'll call you later, Matt"_

"_When?"_

"_As soon as I wake up tomorrow morning, okay?"_

"_Promise me, hun"_

"_Promise. And bye!"_

"_Bye!" _

Sometimes I feel like Sonny isn't really in love with me. She likes me, sure. She had a crush on me at some point, sure. But love? Somehow, I doubt it. But _I_ love her and that is motivating enough. If me shifting to LA is the only way to save our relationship, then I'm doing it.

*Phone rings*

"Hey sunshine!"

"Hey Matt!" I could almost _see_ the smile on her face as she said it. And that sounded much more like my Sonny than yesterday.

"So, how's life in the film capital?"

"Awesome!" For some reason, that made me feel a little bad.

"Oh, great… Sonny?"

"Yes?"

"Do you really miss me at all?"

"Of course I do. Why?"

"I don't know…you almost seem to have forgotten about me"

"Hun, you know that isn't true…"

"Then why haven't you called me once since you reached that place? I've been the one to call you _all_ the three times"

"I've been really busy, Matt!" she pleaded.

"So busy that you can't spare a few minutes talking to your own fiancé?"

"Matt, please understand!"

"Sonny, that's what I've been trying to do…but how much can I take?" I had begun shouting at the end of that sentence without realizing it.

"Matt, I have a life _outside_ of you too, you know?"

"I didn't ask you to make _me_ your life" _Although that would be totally great _"But sadly, I no longer seem to be a part of it"

"What the hell, Matt? I don't talk to you for three days and you decide that I've completely thrown you out?" she sounded extremely angry as well as tearful. But instead of calming me down, it only made me angrier. She was at fault and _I_ was being made the villain?

"Yes, Sonny. You _have_ thrown me out," I spat back, quietly but venomously.

"You can't boss me, Matt. I am a free woman capable of making my own choices and decisions…"

"I'm not bossing you around, Sonny"

"Yes you are. _And_ you're being chauvinistic by not respecting _me_, a woman"

"That's complete bullshit and you know it. I am _not_ chauvinistic. How dare you say that of a journalist, who _always_ stands for freedom?"

"You're _not_ showing that spirit, Matthew Connor," And with that, the phone went dead.

I stared at the phone in complete disbelief. What had started out to be a love-laced conversation had ended up as one of the bitterest spats of our relationship.

**Sonny **

I couldn't hold in my tears as I clicked the phone off. That _had_ to be one of the most awful fights we ever had. I can't believe Matt _still_ can't accept the fact that I've come here.

My limbs seemed to take a mind of their own, as my hands picked up the coat and draped it around my shoulders and legs moved to the car and settled me in.

A few minutes later, I found myself in front of Chad's house. I quickly wiped my cheeks, and put on some lip gloss. After one last glance at the mirror, I trudged up to the entrance of the house and rang the bell.

A sleepy looking Chad answered the door, and I _had_ to admit, only he could get away with looking so handsome in an old T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Hey Sonny," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey Chad"

"Come on in. What brings you here early in the morning?"

I laughed. His pout was very cute. "Chad. It isn't early. Its 10AM for heaven's sake!"

"That's pretty early for me on a Sunday. Anyways, you want coffee?"

"Sure"

"So…what's troubling you, my lady?"

I don't know what prodded my emotional outburst which followed his words: whether it was him addressing me as 'my lady' after so many years or whether it was my post-Matt-argument vulnerable state. I think it was a blend of both. Either way, I had thrown myself at Chad and was sobbing torrentially into his chest, muttering under my breath about Matt and his issues. I don't know if Chad understood even a word of my ranting, but he was kind enough to run his fingers on my back through my hair soothingly. And as if that wasn't enough, I was inhaling in the scent of pure Chad.

**Author's note: Review! **


	6. Coming around

**Chapter-5**

**Coming around**

"_Sure"_

"_So…what's troubling you, my lady?"_

_I don't know what prodded my emotional outburst which followed his words: whether it was him addressing me as 'my lady' after so many years or whether it was my post-Matt-argument vulnerable state. I think it was a blend of both. Either way, I had thrown myself at Chad and was sobbing torrentially into his chest, muttering under my breath about Matt and his issues. I don't know if Chad understood even a word of my ranting, but he was kind enough to run his fingers on my back through my hair soothingly. And as if that wasn't enough, I was inhaling in the scent of pure Chad. _

**Chad**

Sonny's hot tears trickled through my cotton fabric as she sobbed and rambled and choked into me. Her soft, tear-stained cheek lay against my neck and my hands had reflexively found their way into her curls, tangling and detangling them repetitively. I could not follow a word of her ranting, not when it was _so_ interspersed with sniffs and sobs. But I _did_ know that I hated seeing her in such a pathetic state. Any other day, I would have loved holding her like this. But when she was in such a crestfallen, defenseless state, all I wanted to do was hunt down the source of her misery (I think it was Matt) and punch him senseless.

But disregarding my beastly impulse, I held her and, as befits the nature of an intelligent human in possession of common sense, waited for her to calm down and actually tell me what was bothering her. And gradually, she did calm down. Tears ceased seeping into my shirt and her hands loosened their grip on my neck. A few more moments passed in peace as the realization of how close we were holding each other slowly dawned on me.

My hands had come to rest on her waist and hers were lazily wrapped around my neck. To any outsider, it would've looked nothing short of a romantic embrace. And I suppose I was enjoying it a little more than I should. _Because after everything that was said and done, Sonny _was_ not my girlfriend._ A pang of sadness hit me as that thought crossed my mind. Reluctantly, I pulled out of the embrace.

Allowing a moment to dispel the awkwardness, "Sonny?" I said, holding her at an arm's length and taking in her appearance. She still looked a little perturbed.

"Are you feeling better?"

She wiped her eyes and nodded.

"Come on, I'll make you a steaming cup of coffee"

She followed me into the kitchen and sat on one of the stools by the counter. Her eyes had a faraway look and her face had slightly pained expression.

"Sonny, coffee," I said, placing her cup in front of her.

She flashed a dry smile.

"Thanks, Chad. For everything" she said in a small voice.

"Anything for you, shortstack!"

She let out a giggle.

"Shortstack? Really Chad, really?"

She sounded almost as perky as her usual self. It felt nice to have been able to put at least a tiny fraction of her usual energy back into her.

By the end of the coffee session, she was in a considerably better mood.

I went in for a shower, leaving Sonny to her own devices. Apparently, she went exploring around the house while I was gone, because, when I returned, she was engrossed in examining a silver bracelet closely, a silver bracelet with the letters S and C engraved on it.

"Sonny"

She jumped, startled.

"Oh, hey Chad, you got showered so quickly?"

I did not reply. Instead I wiggled my eyebrows towards the object in her hand. She squirmed guiltily.

"Oh, that"

"Yes, _that_"

"I found it in your room. And…" she drawled.

"_And…_ curiosity overpowered you…" I said, resisting the smile that begged to take over my face. She looked very adorable when she felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, Chad. It's just that seeing it after so many years feels very…very…"

"Nostalgic?" I offered, as a wave of memories of our time together as teenagers rippled through my mind.

"_Yes_," she whispered, almost as though the exact images raiding my mind were racing through hers. And that expression caused me to wonder if she too wished that we were still a couple.

"I'm surprised that you still have it," she said, bringing me out of my reverie.

"Wouldn't _you_ have had it, Sonny?" I asked quietly.

"Definitely," she said, without breaking eye contact.

For some reason, her answer elevated my spirits greatly.

"Let's go for a long drive, shall we?"

"I'd love to!"

It was 11:30 by the time we left my house. Even by Californian standards, it was just too hot outside. And coupled with totally crazy traffic, the LA roads were proving too terrible for a lazy long drive that I had planned.

So we took to the sheltered valleys. The roads were rather deserted and dusty, yet the atmosphere was serene and _way_ cooler than the city. It was exactly what I wanted. It was time to get to the root of Sonny's problem.

"So, Sonny, _now_ tell me the reason why you cried this morning. I kinda couldn't follow what you said when you were crying…"

"About _that_…" she said sheepishly.

I nodded and gestured her to continue.

"You see, me and Matt had a small fight this morning…well, a _big_ one actually"

"What about?" I asked very curiously. My heart sped up and an unwarranted happiness coursed through my veins.

"Actually, he was totally against me moving here"

"Oh"

"And…now he thinks that I am totally ignoring him"

"OK…_are_ you ignoring him?" I asked, a very selfish devil in me hoping she would say yes.

She seemed to contemplate the question for a few seconds.

"I don't know, Chad…I _hope_ I'm not. Or maybe I _am _ignoring him…_maybe_ he's right," she muttered under her breath, apparently more to herself than me.

I didn't know what to say. I just drove on.

"_Should_ I apologize to him, Chad?" she demanded suddenly. _And fly into the sunset of happiness with him, leaving me to wallow in heart break forever? NO._ But what claim on her did I have to tell her that?

"I don't know, Sonny. It's your wish. If you owe him an apology, maybe you should. It's _your_ decision to make. Not mine"

**Sonny**

Quite unexpectedly, that comment _totally_ swept me off my feet. It was such an innocent comment that Chad probably didn't have the tiniest fraction of an idea about how powerfully it had impressed me. Yet, it _had_. And as much as I would hate to admit aloud, it reminded me of how un-Chad-like Matt was.

Those thoughts absorbed me as I let the wind caress my face and the distinctive Californian landscape delight my eyes.

I was glad we'd come on a long drive. I'd forgotten how magnanimous the scope for self-reflection could get during such rides.

I glanced at Chad. He seemed to be in a very contemplative mood as well. A comfortable silence fell over the car as both of us sank into our respective thoughts.

My mind wandered back to this morning when I had barged into Chad's house and suddenly, my behavior seemed very embarrassing. I don't know what had propelled me to throw myself at him like that.

.

.

.

Or maybe I _do_.

.

.

_Chad has always been a great source of comfort to me._

.

.

And suddenly, why I hadn't visited my grandparents in so many years became crystal clear. I had never _needed_ them in the first place when I was around Chad. When he was with me, I had never needed _anyone_ else to soothe me, comfort me and make me feel at home. Chad was my _rock_.

Sensing his eyes on me, I whipped my head around to meet them; and for the first time in several years, noticed a _disarming _depth in those sapphire pools.

**A/N: Hey y'all! :)**

**Sorry for the late update. One week I'd been working on my other story **_**Second Love**_** (btw, thank you all for your wonderful response :). And after that, I was busy with academics. Hence the delay.**

**And, about this chapter, quite Channy filled, isn't it? Sonny is finally coming around, huh? Hope you all enjoyed it. **_**Do**_** let me know what you think.**

**And keep an eye out for my one shots! Toodles!**


	7. Apologies

Apologies:  
Sincere apologies to all the readers for not updating in such a long time. And I am sorry to say that I probably won't be continuing this. My life has taken a tragic turn of late, with two big problems coming upon me in very quick succession ...these are very testing times and I am finding it very difficult to deal with them. So I just cannot imagine myself writing stories now. I know how disappointing this could be for some of you. None of you deserve this. It is not right on my part as an author. I am really sorry. I hope you understand...  
~phyfrea


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